OS-01: A Change in Faet
by Potter's Bard
Summary: [Oh Susannah, Part 1]. Response to reptilia28's Death Challenge: When Harry dies at the final battle with Voldemort, he meets his Death Guardian, who's not too happy. He's told about what went wrong in his life, and the fact that he has 3 soul-mates. He's given the option to go back in time to start over. Harmony/Susannah. Time-travel.
1. Mort

**Introduction:** This is my response to reptilia28's death challenge. I had been wanting to do this one for quite some time now but all of my ideas had already been done by others. It wasn't until I was reminded about the Discworld novel, _Mort,_ that I finally was able to develop this idea.

This version of the story is a re-imagining of what I originally wrote. I had plenty of ideas for the first and fourth years but no clue about second and third, which is why it took me ages between updates. I had recently started watching this cartoon series, _Winx Club_, which started the process I needed to develop this much further than I'd actually gotten. That said, future years will be crossed with _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_, _Lost Girl_, _Underworld_, _Winx Club_ and X-men; though I may add one or two more series in due course, not decided yet. I will do my best to make sure that you don't really need to have watched the other series, to enjoy reading this one; I know, from experience, that there's nothing worse than reading a cross-over story when you only know one of the worlds involved, especially when those authors seem to think that you may do know both worlds.

Another reason why I am re-writing this story, is due to National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It is a global challenge, in which people are encouraged to write a fifty thousand word novel in thirty days. For me, it is all about getting myself used to writing a certain number of words, each and every day; two thousand, in my case! I will be posting the other one. Though admittedly, I did stop writing after the challenge, for a while, which is why I'm only just posting the first chapter now.

**Pairings:** The challenge itself primarily calls for a Harry/Hermione pairing, that's where this story differs. This is still a Harmony story, but with the inclusion of two others as well, namely Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott (hence the title of this series). I won't explain why I've included those two as well, as that will reveal some of the plot; it will be explained in due course! I did toy with the idea of adding other women to the relationship but decided against that, leaving that for my other stories.

**Rating:** I do not plan on writing any sexually explicit material for this story, although it will skirt around the edges of it, from time to time. It is why I have rated this story a T and not M. That said, if the situation calls for it, I may write those scenes in a separate story, though that will only be posted to my AO3 account (the link to which will be on my profile).

**Story Length & Updates:** This story had previously had been planned to only run up until the end of fourth year. With the inclusion of the other worlds (see above), it will now run for all seven years. Each year will be posted as its own separate story. As for chapter length, that will vary, depending on each one's natural conclusion (think of this as a series of related short stories); although, they will usually be no less than two thousand words in length (excluding chapter notes). I will keep the notes for each chapter to a minimum, as that often detracts from the story; I have seen some stories were notes are pretty much a third of the chapter. I will try and reply to each review individually, though I will post any major clarification points to my dedicated website, the link to which is on my profile!

In order to help easily identify the stories in this series, each one will start with the OH combination of letters, which stands for 'Oh Susannah', followed by the number in which they come in the series. So for example this one's entitled … _**OH-01: A Change in Faet**_! The next story in the series will be, _**OH-02: Secret of the Fae**_, etc…

I won't be saying that I will post a chapter every other week or so, as I've fallen into that trap before. That said, if you'd like to keep updated with how this story is progressing, other than from what I've already posted, you can keep up with my updates via my Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr accounts. I will also have a dedicated website, where I will be posting future chapters, before I'm ready to make them available to this site. Again, the link to that site will be on my profile.

**The Challenge:** Harry is killed, at the age of 17, during the final battle with Voldemort.

He is sent to his Death's office (explained later) and finds out that this wasn't the first time that he had died.

Harry's Death (who can have a human name) is mad at his arrival. Apparently, people dyeing before their time is a black mark on the various Death's record, and Harry is getting perilously close to getting this particular one fired.

When Harry asks what was supposed to have happened, Death goes off on a rant saying how he was supposed to have killed Voldemort, found his soul-mate ("some Granger girl") and lived to a centennial age. But since Harry keeps getting into life-threatening situations, for one reason or another, he keeps dyeing before that is able to happen.

Harry is surprised about the soul-mate part.

Death gives Harry a paper to sign that allows him to retain his memories (the previous times he wasn't given this option, for some reason). Harry is deposited to a previous time, of the writer's choosing. Eventually, Harry gets it right. He kills Voldemort, gets the girl and lives to a ripe old age of whatever. And Harry's Grim Reaper doesn't get fired.

**Disclaimer:** Listen to me very carefully, I shall say this only once. I do not own the Discworld or Harry Potter; they belong to Terry Pratchett, J.K. Rowling and their respective publication and distribution houses. No money is being made off this work!

**Oh Susannah, Part 1: A Change of Faet!**

**Chapter 1: Mort**

To say that Harry Potter was confused would have been an understatement. The last thing that he remembered was battling Voldemort near the Forbidden forest, a green light, then ending up here; where ever here was. He looked around, in order to work out where he was. The only thing that Harry could discern was that he were in a waiting room of some sort. The white walls made Harry think of a hospital. He knew that this was not a hospital.

"HARRY POTTER", said an ominous sounding voice. The young man in question jumped up from his chair with a start, at the sudden call of his name. At first he could not work out where it was coming from but then he saw an individual standing in one of the doorways, a figure wearing an ominously black cloak, with the hood up so that its face could not be seen. Harry could not tell if it were male or female. "PLEASE COME WITH ME!" The voice said a moment later, before turning and heading through the door. Harry had no choice but to follow.

The black cloaked figure lead Harry through an endless array of corridors that seemed to go on forever. Several hours later, or so it seemed to a now knackered teen, they came to a door through which his guide entered. Harry could see that this was an office of someone very important, for the seats and desk alone indicated someone of status.

"TAKE A SEAT", the figure said as it made its way to the large, almost throne like, chair behind the desk. In compliance of the instruction, Harry's body seemed to move of its own accord, before finally sitting down.

The now clearly revealed male figure had removed his cowl as he sat down. He leaned forward and put his elbows on the desk, before making a triangle out of his hands. It was a pose that reminded Harry of a certain yellow skinned nuclear power plant owner, although he could not recall the cartoon character's name at the moment!

"Well Harry," the man said in a much more normal tone of voice. "What are we going to do with you? You were not supposed to be here for quite some time. In fact, this is not the first time you've arrived in our realm. In fact, the Death who previously handled your case nearly had a mental break down because you'd died so many times, nearly getting him sacked in the process. In the end, I had to take over and give him some paid leave to recover; even so, it will take him quite some time to return to work.

"Not only are we disappointed in the number of times that you have met your Death, you've also failed to complete the bonds with your soul-mates. Let's see," at this point he began to leaf through the file on his desk, to get the right information. "Ah here we are, some Granger girl and an Abbott and Bones. Although, how the last two came about I do not know. Let's see, it appears that Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones are the last of their houses. Well, this is interesting, it seems that they are two halves of the same soul, which is why they paired off together. Ah, here's the bit that pertains to your situation. Because they are the last of their families and that they are both 'together', they needed a male to help them continue their family lines. Because of your childhood, the Fates decided that you needed more than one soul-mate. Granger is your primary, you were also supposed to be the one who fathered the next generation of the Abbott and Bones families."

Harry was stunned, not only had he apparently died but he'd done so several times before. There was also the fact that Hermione was his soul-mate and that she wasn't his only one, as he was also the soul-mate of two other Witches, ones that he didn't know all too well; apart from their brief conversations after D.A. meetings. It never occurred to him that they were a lesbian couple. All this information proved to be too much of a shock for his mind to take in, it needed a reboot, thus he ended up unconscious and slumped in the chair.

Several minutes later, he woke up with a groan. Everything suddenly came back to him, dying multiple times and having three soul-mates. "Who-who are you?" He asked nervously, not knowing the person he was speaking to.

"Ah, sorry Harry. My name is Lord Mortimer, Duke of Sto Helit, although most people call me Mort. (1) I am deputy director of the Death Guardians (2) and the former apprentice of Death himself. He was the one from whom I got that loud voice, by the way, for he always talked like that; even when he was 'relaxing'. I mostly handle those really difficult cases, like yours. Cases that the the rank and file Death Guardians have great difficulty with; hence why your case was forwarded to me.

"Now, I am sure that you have several questions about what I told you during my rant?! Sorry about that!"

Harry sat back firmly into his chair and took a deep breath. "You said that I had died several times before, how?" He asked a short time later.

Mort picked up the file and turned the pages over till he hit the right one. "Okay, let's see, you died a total of 10 times before, making this the 11th. You died three times while at the Dursleys, where they either beat you to death or you were left in the cupboard for far too long without food. You died during the Quidditch match, when you fell off your broom. When you went to rescue the stone at the end of your first year. In your fourth year, you were killed by the Dragon, drowned in the lake when you were knocked unconscious by Victor Krum and you died during Voldemort's resurrection ritual. Your relatives didn't take too kindly to being told to lay off you. You were given an overdoes of Amortentia. Finally, you committed suicide after the death of your Godfather."

Harry was stunned, his jaw dropped open and hit the floor. He could not comprehend what he'd just heard, the fact that he'd died so many times and the manner in which he had done so. A moment later he asked the next obvious question, "how come I don't remember any of this?"

Mort paused for a moment, before he replied. "Well, when someone of importance, such as you, dies before their time, we usually send them back to just before the point that they'd died. Their memories are wiped in the process, after all we do not want everyone to know what happens after they die. It would send those fundamentalist types into an apoplexy, if they found out what the afterlife was really like. This is why we wiped your memory of each of your previous visits here."

Harry nodded, for he could see some sort of sense in the explanation.

"On this occasion, however, if you agree, we'll send you back with all your memories intact. Not only that but we'd also added extras as well."

"You're going to send me back again?" Harry asked with a hint of confusion.

Mort smiled. "Yes, for you are a linchpin in your world. Events revolve around you Harry, are shaped by you; in another world you'd be known as a Ta'veren, (3) someone who shapes the lives of those around them. Yet you have not been given the skills and training needed to take charge of your true role in society. Your previous Death Guardian did not have the authorisation to send anyone back with their memories and upgrades, I do! It is why I am giving you this contract to look over and sign. If you agree, then you'll have to go on a few missions for us, which will be revealed to you at the appropriate time. The first two missions are: firstly, to check in with Gringotts at the earliest opportunity, you'll be in for a surprise. Secondly, you need to begin establishing the connections with your soul-mates. This is one of the main reasons why we'll be sending you back to just before your first year; before Susan and Hannah became 'too focused' on each other!" (4)

It was at this point that Harry was reminded about him having three soul-mates; so he asked the next question that immediately came to mind. "About that, I thought that Ginny was my soul-mate?"

Mort sighed, for he was expecting this question sooner or later. "No Harry, she wasn't! She was the one that gave you the lethal dose of Amortentia, for she'd been feeding you it for some time before but it was not having the desired result, so she upped the dosage without realising how it would affect your body. It was her mother's idea to use the potion, for she wanted her 'precious' daughter to marry the rich and famous Boy-who-lived, so that she could claim part of your fortune."

"So, she never really loved me?" Harry asked while tears threatened to fall from his eyes.

Mort let out another sigh. "No Harry, she never truly loved you, Harry Potter, for she loved the Boy-who-lived. She was programmed from an early age, by her mother, to want the fame and fortune that came with being Mrs Harry James Potter. It did not matter, to the two Weasley females, the people that they hurt in the process. Although, the younger female is just as much a victim as you were, for the mother never really cared about what her daughter actually wanted; it was about her own desires only. This is truly the most tragic part of the whole situation, for the girl was just as much a pawn of the mother as you were, as she was destined for another. Not only that but the youngest male Weasley was also in on the plan; although, he would not have been had the magical world known about a condition called Savant Syndrome!"

"Savant Syndrome?"

"It is a mental condition where the sufferer has an encyclopedic knowledge of certain areas, Quidditch and Chess in Mr. Weasley's case, yet they do not like change. They also have problems in social situations, an example would be his eating habits, his jealousy and the fact that it doesn't take much to get him angry." (5)

This made some kind of sense, to Harry. In the non-magical world, the science of the mind is far more advanced than in the magical. It did not surprise him that his 'best friend' possibly had an emotional condition that very few in the magical world understood; if it were known at all. He just nodded his head, indicating that he'd understood what was said.

The revelation that the Weasley matriarch didn't honestly care about him, Harry Potter, but about the money that he was entitled to as the last remaining member of an Ancient and Noble House, made him feel rather numb and depressed. He didn't truly know what to think. He considered himself a member of the Weasley family, especially after all those times that Molly 'claimed' that he was like another son to her. Now he could not comprehend the fact that the woman he looked up to as a type of 'mother figure', was actually using him to gain access to his vaults.

Mort just sat there, as he watched the young man in front of him. This was a part of his job that he didn't really like, telling people that what they thought was the truth was in fact a lie! Although, he had yet to tell young Mr. Potter about the person behind the whole thing. He knew that would cause the young man further upset. He just continued to sit there for a few more moments, to allow the information time to circulate through the young man's mind.

A moment or two later, after letting out a heavy sigh, Harry asked; "were any of the other Weasleys involved?" He couldn't bear the thought of the whole family being in on the plan!

At this Mort could give him a smile. "No Harry, Arthur Weasley had no clue as to what his wife and youngest children were doing, especially as his wife had her own ways of 'diverting' him should he come across any of their planning meetings. The twins did not know about it either, not only that, but they wouldn't intentionally harm anyone they considered family. Percy has been estranged from his family for a few years now. Bill and Charlie are too involved with their respective careers, to become caught up in their mother's schemes."

Harry let out a sigh of relief, glad that it was not every member of the Weasley family who were involved in the plot to steal money from him.

"Now, there's one further bit of information that I need to give you on this topic," Mort continued. "Molly Weasley wasn't the primary instigator of this plan. For one, she didn't have the money, nor the knowledge, to pull this one off on her own. Her partner in crime, so to speak, was one Albus Dumbledore. He was in-line to receive the primary share of your fortune, if the goal of their plans were to have reached their desired conclusion. He was also the one who left you at the Dursleys, despite knowing full well that your parents forbade you from ever going there."

Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise at this. He just couldn't even comprehend the idea that the man he looked up to, as a 'grandfather' figure, had been the one to make his life a living hell. That the old man didn't honestly care about him at all, but about the fortune that the Potter family held. "Why?" He asked, in a small tone of voice.

On hearing the quietly asked question, Mort couldn't help but sigh. "For his so called 'Greater Good' Harry. He wanted a world where pure-blood Wizards ruled over everyone else, with him at the very top. In other words, he desired to become the first true Emperor of humanity. He could afford to take a long term view with this. The wealth of the Ancient and Noble House of Potter would have given him enough funds to set his plans in motion, plus the Wizengamot votes your house holds would have given him the majority he needed to pass or deny new legislation, those that promoted his aims. You were an obstacle to his goals, so he needed you out of the way, hence the Dursleys. He also needed a martyr for 'the cause' as a rallying point; although, he needed to make sure that the Potter family continued under the influence of a family loyal to him, which is where Ginny came in."

This information proved to be too much for Harry, so once again, he fainted!

Harry came to several moments later, not really sure how to react to everything that he'd just been told. To know that the individual he looked up to the most, was the one responsible for the hell that he'd been living in, for the vast majority of his life; he just didn't know where to begin, in order to start processing it all.

"I am sorry about the way your life turned out Harry," Mort said a few moments later. "If you agree to the terms, as laid out in the contract, we can change things. We can't do much about your life before Hogwarts but we can make sure that your time in the castle is a much better experience for you. Not only that but you'll be able to prevent the deaths of several people who'd died before their time, misters Diggory and Black, for example!"

Harry perked up at this, for it was the first thought hat had percolated through his mind, the ability to save those who'd died. Well, as many of them as he could save. He knew that the first thing to happen would be the freeing of his Godfather from Azkaban and to prevent Cedric from dying in the graveyard at the end of his fourth year; it was these thoughts that turned his mood around into a far more positive one.

Mort could see Harry's mood change, as the young man realised the full implications of being able to go back in time. "Yes Harry, you'll be able to save some of those who died before their time. This will be one of your tasks. You'll be told who and when, in plenty of time to save them. Although, there will be those whose time was at an end, these are the people you will not be able to save."

Harry nodded at this. "Okay, let's look at this contract that you keep mentioning." He said a moment later.

Mort then proceeded to give him the contract, before he then sat back in his chair, while the young man before him studied it. It was the standard contract which set out the terms and conditions that was to happen upon being sent back in time, including those he could, or could not, tell about his past life. The stipulations about performing various missions and tasks as an agent of the Death Guardians, which he would effectively become. It also set out which parts of the time-line he was permitted to change and which he wasn't. All pretty much bog standard stuff.

As he came to the end of said document, Harry nodded and said, "you mentioned something about 'upgrades'. What are they and how can I use them?"

Mort thought for a moment, wondering what he should tell him. There were a few things that Harry's pre-teen body just would not be able to cope with, so he had a mental debate with himself to see if he could come up with a viable reason as to why he should not tell him. He could not, in the end; he did conclude that it would be best to tell him the truth.

"Well," Mort began, after a while. "You will be sent back with all your knowledge and memories intact. You will have enhanced mental defences, to the point where not even Dumbledore could enter your mind. You will have an increased speed-reading rate and near instantaneous recall of any facts and pertinent knowledge. You will be given several Animagi forms, each of these will serve a different function; I will leave it to you to discover what these forms are. Not only will you have Animagi forms but we'll also fully activate your Metamorphmagi abilities that you've inherited from your paternal grandmother. There will also be several other abilities that will only reveal themselves to you over time; for your body will have to grow into them, in order to adapt itself.

"We will also be giving you a special trunk, one that is unique in many ways. It is one that used to belong to a famous Wizard from my native reality; it quite literally followed him around wherever he went. For you see it has many legs and can walk around under its own power; that said, it does stay put when told to do so. It has an unlimited capacity, so you can literally store anything you want inside it, no matter the size or quantity. No one but it's Master, and those given permission, can get into it. Not even the best curse breakers, that Gringotts has to offer, could break the enchantments spelled into this trunk. Inside the trunk we will leave various tools to help you on the missions we give you but they will only reveal themselves to you at the appropriate time."

Harry was once again shocked; although, this time in a good way. The abilities alone would help him to become a much better Wizard this time around. He was very curious about these mysterious Animagi forms but reasoned that the Death Guardian just wanted to surprise him with them. He wasn't too sure what to make of a trunk that could move around under its own power, with the ability to think for itself. He was a tad apprehensive about that.

After thinking about it for a few moments more, Harry decided to sign the contract. He and Mort talked for a few minutes more, about his first few tasks and what would happen during Harry's first year at Hogwarts. Mort also mentioned that he would be popping in from time to time in order to check up on Harry's progress. Once they'd talked everything over, with a final 'good luck Harry', Mort waved his hand, in the air, and Harry's world went blank.

**Footnotes:**

1 = Reminding myself of the Discworld novel _Mort_ is what gave me the original inspiration for this story.

2 = I know that the Death Guardians do not exist, in either world, I just wanted to name them something different.

3 = Ta'veren is from the _Wheel of Time_ series by Robert Jordan.

4 = In the original time-line of this story, Susan and Hannah began to focus solely on each other after third year.

5 = I only have a basic understanding of the syndrome. I apologise if I got anything wrong!


	2. Hagrid

**Note:** Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, followed and saved this story to their favourites! Secondly, this is probably the shortest of my chapters for this story. Most, of what I have written thus far, are well over 4k in length. The next chapter will be much longer. Finally, I'm not gonna attempt to write out Hagrid's accent, for I found it tad difficult to do so, when I tried to write it out the first time.

**Oh Susannah, Part 1: A Change in Faet!**

**Chapter 2: Hagrid**

The next thing he knew, Harry woke up with a great BOOMING sound pounding on the door. He was disorientated for a moment, not really too sure as to what was going on or where he was. When the second BOOM sounded he remembered. He remembered dying and meeting Mort, his Death Guardian. He remembered being given the chance to come back again, to start over.

Taking a quick look around, Harry grinned when he saw the room he stayed in on his eleventh birthday; the room in the shack on the islet somewhere out in the North Sea. He was back to the very beginning, to the moment when his life began to change. He grinned.

BOOM

The door, ever so slowly, fell to the floor. Framed in the doorway stood the huge hulking form of the man whom Harry greatly admired. The person to introduce him to the Wizarding world. Hagrid.

The rain was pouring it down, in biblical proportions. It was dark. It was stormy. It was the start to many a story that Harry had read over the years; which made him chuckle. Although, he quickly schooled his face so that the giant of a man saw an expression of shock.

"Sorry about that," said Hagrid, as he lifted the door from off the floor, to place it back into its frame. He then proceeded to shake as much of the rain off of him as he could. "Keep forgetting my own strength, most of the time."

It was by that point that Vernon and Petunia Dursley had made their way down the stairs, huddled together in fear. Vernon carrying a shot gun that could clearly be seen moving from side to side, as the hands that held it were visibly shaking. When Vernon spied the man that had so rudely barged into their hideout, the couple gasped at the sheer size of him. He was not the size of a 'normal' man.

"Who-who are you?" Vernon asked rather nervously. "Do-don't come any c-c-closer, I'm a-armed!" He had the air of someone who was trying to be 'the man' and failing miserably at it.

"Be-care-ful Vernon, it's o-one of those f-freaks" Exclaimed Petunia.

"Yes dear."

The giant then turned his attention on them, slowly walking towards the cowering couple. As he reached them, Vernon lifted the gun as if he were about to fire. The giant then reached out his right hand, grabbed hold of the barrel and, without any noticeable effort on his part, proceeded to bend it upwards. Then gun fired but the shot went harmlessly into the ceiling.

"Shut up Dursley, I'm not here to talk to you." The giant then turned around to face Harry, the boy in question was making himself as small as he possibly could against the wall.

Inwardly, Harry was congratulating himself on his acting. _I should receive an Oscar for this or at the least, a BAFTA!_ He thought to himself.

The giant smiled, "and you must be young Harry?!" It was somewhere between a question and a statement.

"Y-y-yes sir," he replied 'nervously'.

"I have something for you." He then proceeded to look through all of his various pockets, that he'd sown into his coat. "Ah, here we are." He said, after pulling out an ornate looking envelope and handing it to the obviously 'terrified' boy.

"Don't you dare give him that letter." Vernon said with a tad more confidence showing through.

"It is his letter, why should I not give it to him?" The giant asked!

"I know what that letter is and I will not let the boy attend that freak of a school, so that he can learn to be even more freaky." There was more than a hint of anger by the time Vernon finished.

The giant turned back to face the couple and said. "This is his birth right, you cannot deny it to him. He needs to learn to control his abilities and to become strong in them; to become the powerful Wizard that he is destined to be!"

It was then that Harry knew he had to speak up. "Wizard?" He asked nervously, pretending not to know what that word meant.

"Blimey Harry, I'm guessing that you don't know who your parents were and your origins?" Hagrid asked, with more than a hint of surprise.

Harry shook his head. "No sir, they told me that my father was an unemployed layabout drunk, my mother was a whore and that they'd died in a car crash, because dad was driving while drunk." He had said this all in a small and quiet tone of voice; all the while congratulating himself on pulling off a convincing performance. It was amusing, for him, to see the way that Hagrid reacted to his statement, it was exactly the same as last time.

"WHAT?!" The giant roared. He turned to face the other two adults in the room. "What lies have you been telling him Dursley? Car crash. Car Crash! How could James and Lily be killed in a car crash?" He then turned back to Harry. Getting himself back under control, then said; "I'm sorry Harry. I didn't think that I'd be the one to tell you this. We thought that your aunt would have told you everything that you needed to know, about your parents and their world. Your parents did not die in a car crash Harry. Even if they did drive, they would not have done so while drunk! They were murdered by an evil Wizard, because they'd stood in his way."

It always made him sad, hearing about how his parents died. He had known what happened for quite some time now. It didn't take much acting for a depressed mood to envelop him. He sighed. It took him a moment to articulate his thoughts. After a few moments he finally asked, "who killed them?"

"Erm, You-Know-Who killed them Harry!" Hagrid replied, a moment later.

"No, I don't know who!" Came Harry's almost flippant response.

"I'm sorry?"

"You said that You-Know-Who killed them, but I don't know who, for you've not told me his name!"

"We don't like to say his name Harry! He was a really evil man who went around torturing and killing anyone who didn't agree with his views or whom he thought was inferior to him. Even now, people still do not like using his name, for it reminds them of truly dark times."

"Well, that's just silly. He's not going to suddenly appear if you say his name three times. The more people are afraid to say someone's name, the more power that person has over them!" Harry replied. No matter how many times he tried to get people to say Voldemort's name, they still refused to do so. Apart from a few, that is. It really infuriated him, how many of the Wizarding population were such sheeple. In the end, he looked at the giant questioningly, trying to get him to say the name.

Hagrid sighed, knowing that he would have to be the one to tell young Harry, even though he really did not want to. "Okay Harry, it's Voldemort." Hagrid sighed again, though feeling a tad relieved at having said it without stuttering it out, like so many do.

Harry smiled. "There, that wasn't too hard, was it? No one else has suddenly appeared in the room, have they?" Harry hoped that this would help start the process of making Hagrid into a stronger individual than he was the last time round. The phrase 'baby steps', is what Harry was going for here!

"No Harry, it wasn't. Though, please don't make me say it again." He sighed!

There was a pause for a moment or two, before Harry said; "excuse me sir, but you haven't told me who you are!" Harry, of course, knew full well who the giant in front of him was; even though the large man hadn't formally introduced himself to him yet.

Hagrid was momentarily startled, completely having forgotten that he had yet to introduce himself to the boy in front of him. "I'm really sorry about that Harry. The name's Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of Grounds and Keys at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; which is the place that the letter has come from." Hagrid then nodded towards the unopened letter that was nestled on Harry's lap.

This surprised Harry, for he'd completely forgotten about the letter. He'd already known what was in it but still, he should of at least had the common courtesy to actually read the missive. He blushed. Hagrid chuckled.

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_Order of Merlin, First Class._

_Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot._

_Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards_

_Dear Mr. Potter, _

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September._

_We await your Owl, by no later than 31 July._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (1)_

"Hagrid, what do they mean by 'we await your Owl?" Harry asked, in a sufficiently confused tone of voice. It also reminded Harry about Hedwig, hoping that he'd soon be reunited with his old friend and familiar!

Hagrid smiled. "Don't worry Harry, I've already let them know that you've gotten your letter. Although, we should be heading off if we want to get a good night's sleep, for tomorrow."

"Why, what's happening tomorrow?"

"Getting your school supplies, of course!"

"But Hagrid, I don't have any money, how am I going to pay for all this? The Dursleys aren't going to pay for all the things I'd need!" Harry knew full well that he, at the very least, had a trust vault with a large sum of money in it.

"Too right, we're not!" Exclaimed a rather irritated Vernon.

Both Harry and Hagrid startled at hearing his voice, for they'd both completely forgotten that there were other people in the room.

Hagrid turned his head around to face the angered man. "Shut up you great Walrus." He then turned back to Harry. "Don't worry Harry, it's all been taken care of," he said cryptically.

It was a bit of a running joke, that Hagrid could never keep a secret, but that brief statement surprised Harry. It was just enough to let him know that there was more than enough money available for him to take care of everything, it also meant that there was not enough information for the Dursleys to use in order to gain access to said monies.

"So Harry," Hagrid said a moment later. "Do you want to come to Hogwarts and learn to be a Wizard? It would mean leaving your _family_ behind for most of the year!" The giant had said the word family in such a way that it indicated to Harry that Hagrid wasn't too fond of his so called relatives, to put it mildly.

Harry paused for a moment, the expression on his face indicating that he was 'thinking' about whether or not he wanted to attend. He looked at his 'relatives', sighed for a moment, then turned back to Hagrid with a smile. "Of course I want to come!" He said emphatically.

"Great, then let's get going." Hagrid said happily.

Harry stood up, turned to face his relatives, then said; "bye Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, Dudley. Can't say that it's been nice knowing you, because it hasn't. You can go back to your perfect world, knowing that you won't be seeing me for quite some time. Let's just hope that this is the last we'll ever see of each other, for the next time we do…" He left the rest unsaid, for he didn't really care about them at all.

A moment later, Hagrid led Harry out the front door. It was still raining heavily outside. Harry didn't care. This was the last time that he'll ever have to see those 'relatives' again!

**Diagon Alley, 0900, The Following Morning**

Hagrid had rented a pair of room in the Leaky Cauldron, for the night. When they had arrived there, everyone had the same reaction as last time, upon discovering who he was and why he and Hagrid were there. Even though he was used to it by now, it still infuriated him.

Harry was woken up at 0730, so that they could go down to breakfast. After feasting on a full English, they went back up to Harry's room so that he could gather his things together for their trip through the alley. A trip that Harry was really looking forward to. Although, he wasn't too sure about how he felt about going to Gringotts, considering what happened the last time he was there, even if that event hadn't happened yet; in this time line!

And now, Harry found himself standing in front of the barrier that lead to the main shopping area of the British magical community. Hagrid tapped the appropriate bricks, with us Umbrella. The brick wall then split in half, before the two halves disappeared into their respective supporting walls. Harry didn't have to feign amazement at what he was seeing, mainly as it always excited him, to see that bit of magic.

After Hagrid had welcomed him to the alley, Harry found himself walking on its cobbled street, a moment later. To Harry, the last time he had seen the alley it had been completely deserted. To see it now, so full of life and bustling with people, brought a happy smile to the young boy's face. This was a reminder of the good times, before everything went to Hell. It was also a reminder of what Harry came back for, so that none of the tragic events of last time happened. Seeing the alley at its economic height, strengthened his resolve.

Even though he was paying attention to where he was going, Harry was not aware of how long it took to reach their first destination of the day. He was surprised to find himself standing in front of a large white building that had a pair of Goblin guards on either side of the open doors. Gringotts. The heart of the Wizarding economy. Harry shook his head, a few times, sot hat he could regain focus. He had a job to do this morning, one that would begin the process of gaining himself full independence from a manipulative old man.

**Footnote:**

1 = This was copied from the Harry Potter Wikia site.


	3. Revelations

**Note:** Firstly, I'd like to thank everyone who's favoured, followed and reviewed this story, thus far. There's one item that keeps coming up, the spelling of the word "Faet" in the title of this story. This is NOT a mistake. I deliberately spelt *fate* this way, for it refers to something that will be revealed in this chapter! As for the chapter itself, it is the longest one that I have ever written.

**Oh Susannah, Part 1: A Change in Faet!**

**Chapter 3: Revelations**

**0900, Gringotts Bank, London Branch**

Harry and Hagrid walked through the large set of doors and into the bank. They went up to the first available Teller and waited for the Goblin to finish his task. A moment later, said Goblin Teller looked up to see the two people on the other side of his counter. "What do you want?" He asked, with a slight sneer in the tone of his voice. Most Wizards were rude to those that they considered 'lesser' beings, so the Goblins acted accordingly.

Wanting to make sure that Hagrid didn't divert him from his appointed task, Harry stepped forward and decided to make his voice heard. Bowing slightly, to show respect to the individual who handled his money, he replied; "good morning Master Goblin, my name is Harry James Potter and this is my first day back in the wizarding world, so I'd like to talk with someone about the account my parents left for me. Although, if no one is currently available, I'll gladly come back later, at a more convenient time."

If the Goblin was surprised, that it was the child who responded, he didn't show it. Nor did he show any surprise at the name of said child. Although, he did find the boy, in front of him, a most unusual Wizard indeed. "Very well Mister Potter," he replied a moment later. "I will see if your account manager is free, but first, I need to verify that you are in fact Harry James Potter." He then proceeded to take out a special piece of parchment and a clean knife, from his draw. "All you need to do is place a few drops of blood on this parchment. The potion it is soaked with, will then mix with your blood to reveal your identity! It has never been wrong." He said finally, as a way of warning.

Harry nodded and was about to reach for the dagger when Hagrid stopped him. "We really do not have time for this today, as we've got a lot of things to buy!" The Giant was sounding a tad nervous, like he knew that Harry was doing wasn't part of the plan. Hagrid didn't really know why, of course, but he was told by Dumbledore to take Harry to withdraw the money from his trust vault, and nothing else. The Headmaster really did not want Harry to discover his true wealth and heritage, nor the fact that he'd been pilfering from the boy's trust vault; not that Hagrid knew any of that, of course. The Headmaster just did not count on Harry's 'new found' powers of persuasion!

The green eyed lad in question, understood what Hagrid was trying to do and who it was that had put him up to it. He knew that the Headmaster didn't want him to launch an accounting of the 'authorised' withdrawals that had taken place from his trust vault, nor the number of attempts that the Headmaster had made to access the main Potter vaults; which he failed at, each and every time. Harry smiled inwardly, knowing that he wasn't going to be dancing to the Headmaster's tune, this time around.

A moment later, after Harry had let a few drops of blood fall onto the parchment, lines of text began to appear on it. It read:

_**Name:**_ Harrison_ James Potter_

_**Father:**_ _James Charlus Potter (deceased)_

_**Mother:**_ _Lily Marie Potter nee Evans (deceased)_

"Very well, Mr. Potter, I shall inform Griphook that you have arrived and wish to see him. Wait here!" The Goblin then got off his chair before making his way through a set of doors.

This surprised Harry somewhat. He never recalled hearing that Griphook was in charge of the Potter accounts. Then again, he'd never really paid much attention to anything other than his trust vault; and only then to withdraw money. He supposed that it was due to the fact that he was too naive to think of it, during his first few years, then the war pretty much took all of his concentration after that. When he wasn't trying to survive the latest 'test' by the Headmaster, that is.

Harry turned to face Hagrid and said. "You do not have to come with me Hagrid, I know that you've got other things to do."

Hagrid wasn't too sure what to do. He was conflicted. He'd been told, by the Headmaster, to stay with Harry and to make sure that he didn't find out about any of his accounts. He was loyal to Dumbledore. Although, Harry was the son of two of the people that he really respected. He looked into the green eyes of the lad in question, eyes which seemed to say 'trust me'. He thought about this for a while, not really too sure what to do. In the end, the eyes won out. There was something in those eyes that he couldn't say no to. "That's okay Harry," he said finally. "Dumbledore said that I should stay with you, to make sure that you got everything you needed. I shall come with you."

Inwardly, Harry was smiling, for this was what he wanted. He knew full well what secret would be 'revealed' to him today. Secrets that had been put in motion by the very man that Hagrid had just been speaking of. Harry knew that those secrets would greatly shake the foundations of the trust and 'worship' Hagrid had, for the old man. "Thank you Hagrid, that means a lot to me, knowing that I'll have someone in there that I know!" Harry knew that he was probably laying it on a tad thick, but he genuinely was happy that a good friend, from his past life, would be there with him.

**A Few Minutes Later, Griphook's Office, Gringotts, London Branch**

The Teller came out, a few moments later, through the doors that he had previously entered; he then headed over to where Harry and Hagrid stood waiting. "Griphook will see you now. Follow me!" Without even stopping to check to see if they'd heard him, the Goblin turned around and marched back through the doors.

Harry and Hagrid followed the Goblin through the set of doors, at the back of the bank's lobby. They then proceeded down a long corridor, one that had several doors on either side of it. They eventually stopped in front of a door which had 'ACCOUNT MANAGER GRIPHOOK, MOST ANCIENT AND MOST NOBLE HOUSE OF POTTER' written on it. Harry was somewhat confused by this, for as far as he knew there was only his trust and family vaults; but then again, he hadn't really bothered to look into what else he had here at the bank, the last time round. He supposed that this was one of those surprises that Mort had told him to expect.

KNOCK, KNOCK.

A moment after the escort Goblin knocked on the door, there was a loud voice that bade them to "come in".

Harry entered the large ornate room, with Hagrid a pace behind. The room itself screamed wealth as there were many artefacts and paintings that could have belonged to a museum or gallery. At the far end of the room was a large wooden desk, that many top executives would love to have had in their office. Harry was never really good in identifying different types of wood, or trees in general for that matter, but he could tell that it was a hard wood of some kind and had a dark sheen to its varnish. It also looked rather heavy.

Sitting behind the desk was a Goblin of an age that Harry couldn't even hope to identify. He was never good with telling the ages apart, as only the ancient had the greying hair that signified someone of advanced years. Harry, along with most Humans, had no real clue as to how Goblins developed as they aged. The Goblins were, after all, a very secretive society. The Humans that worked for them only really caught glimpses of their true nature.

The Goblin in question, who went by the name of Griphook, was looking at the two who entered, with a mixture of pleasure and surprise. Pleasure, because the young Lord Potter had made his first appearance in the bank and that things could really start moving on his accounts, once he'd claimed his Lordship. The surprise came from seeing the one that was accompanying the young Lord. Griphook had known about the half-Giant, who didn't; he also knew that the Hogwarts grounds keeper was blindly loyal to one Albus Dumbledore, the supposed leader of the light. Griphook wasn't too sure what this meant, although the primary thought revolved around the possibility of Hagrid being here to 'sabotage' this first meeting. He didn't know that young Harry had invited Hagrid to attend, for a very specific reason.

"Harry Potter and guest to see you, Account Manager Griphook." The Goblin who escorted the pair to his office said. He soon left once Griphook acknowledged him.

Griphook rose from his seat. "It is nice to see you again, Mister Potter." Harry was confused by this somewhat, for he had no memory in this life, or the previous, of ever being in the bank before he turned eleven; although, he must have been here with his parents, when he was a baby, Harry concluded. "Although, I wasn't expecting you to be bringing a guest. Please take a seat."

Harry was expecting this sort of reaction, so he had to think of an acceptable reason as to why he'd allowed this 'complete stranger' to attend the meeting. After a moment or so he came up with something, even though he mentally cringed at how weak it sounded. "Well Mister Griphook sir, he's the only one I know in the wizarding world and I thought he'd be able to help me understand a few things!"

Griphook looked at his young client and pondered that for a moment. After a while he replied, "okay. Now, let's get on with why you are here …"

Knowing that it was the polite thing to do, Harry bowed before replying. "Er, thank you, Mister Griphook." He then sat down in the offered seat. Hagrid did the same, though the chair somehow enlarged itself in order to accommodate the larger than average Human. Harry's eyes widened slightly at that, for he hadn't known that Goblin chairs could do that. It was a moment later that Harry realised that he'd not introduced his companion to the Goblin. Indicating the large man next to him, Harry said nervously; "this is Hagrid, Grounds Keeper at Hogwarts. He's here to help me purchase my school supplies."

"I see," said Griphook in a tone of voice that indicated he wasn't too happy about he half-Giant being in the room. "We do not usually allow non-family members, apart from guardians, into these meetings. There are things we do not like outsiders to know about, without the express permission of the account holder."

**Wills**

Griphook then opened the file, that was on his desk, and proceeded to pull out a piece of parchment. "First off, we have the will of your parents. Would you like me to read it out in full or just give you the summery?" The Goblin asked of his client.

Harry pondered this for a moment, knowing that he can always read the full text of the document at his leisure! "I think it would be best to read the summary for now. Would I be able to have a copy of the will, so I can read it in full later?"

"Yes Mister Potter," the Goblin replied, almost immediately. "You will be given fully notarised copies of all pertinent documents, at the conclusion of this meeting!"

Harry nodded at this.

The Goblin then proceeded to have a preliminary read through, so that he could get to the core matter of what was left and to whom. Once he'd finished his perusal he then said: "well Mister Potter, there are a number of bequeaths to the following people…" Griphook then proceeded to read out various names and what they were getting. Harry was not really surprised, as to the people being mentioned.

After a moment's pause, Griphook continued. "If we are both to perish, the following people, in order of preference or availability, are to be given the option of gaining custody of our son, Harrison James Potter: Sirius Black (Godfather), Alice Longbottom (Godmother), Remus Lupin (family friend), Amelia Bones (family friend and mentor), Minerva McGonagall (family friend and mentor) and Selene Lovegood (James' cousin). If they are unavailable to care for Harrison, for whatever reason, he is to be given into the care of a wizarding family that does not have any ties to the pure-blood supremacist faction. Failing that, he is to be given to a reputable orphanage. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should he be placed in the home of one Petunia Dursley nee Evans!"

"What?!" Exclaimed a surprised Hagrid, interrupting Griphook in the process, for he was the one to take baby Harry, to the abode that will forbade him to go. "Dumbledore said that the Dursley family home was the safest place for Harry to grow up, to be away from the wizarding world until it was time for him to come to Hogwarts!"

"Is this true, Mister Potter?" Asked an equally surprised Goblin. "That you have been living, for the past 10 years, at the very place your parents forbade you to end up?"

Harry really did not need to put on a show, for the two he currently shared the room with, for the mere mention of Durskaban was enough to fill him with unhappiness, at the memories associated with that place and those 'people'. He hated to refer to them as such, for he had come to realise that they were not 'normal' people, as Vernon and Petunia Dursley routinely described themselves as. With a sigh, he answered the question, "yes Griphook, that is the very place where I ended up!"

There was silence for a few moments before it was broken by the sound of quill scratching on parchment, as Griphook made a note. Once he'd finished his notation Griphook said, "rest assured Mister Potter, we will look into this matter, for the place you ended up was in blatant disregard to your parents' wishes."

Harry nodded his head and sighed again, not really too sure what to say after that. Although, he did take a sneaky look at Hagrid, he inwardly smiled at the expression showing on the half-Giant's face, for it was one of outrage and disgust. At that moment Harry could, without a shadow of doubt, safely assume that Hagrid's loyalty to the Headmaster was on the wane.

There was a pregnant pause, for a few moments, as this piece of information sunk into the heads of both the Goblin and half-Giant.

Griphook then cleared his throat, before picking up the will again, he then proceeded to read its conclusion. "Finally, we wish to name our son, Harrison James Potter, to be emancipated on his 11th birthday and given the title of Lord Potter, Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter; along with all the monies, property and assets that had not previously been bequeathed."

Once Griphook had put the will down, he then proceeded to pick up an envelope that was addressed to Harry. "This letter was written by both Lord James and Lady Lily Potter, to be given to you on the occasion of your 11th birthday."

Harry took the envelope and held it reverently in his hands. A moment later, he sighed, then put it into the pocket of his bag. "Thank you Griphook, I will read this letter later." The Goblin nodded.

After another moment, Harry took a deep breath to still himself, knowing the question that he'd have to ask next, "Griphook, why weren't the people, who were listed, willing to take me in?"

"Let's see," Griphook then took up another document. "Well, Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban for betraying your parents and killing 13 Muggles along with a Wizard named Peter Pettigrew. Alice Longbottom is in the long term care ward of St. Mungo's hospital, along with her husband, after over exposure to the torture curse. Remus Lupin was denied custody for being a Werewolf, he promptly disappeared after; probably due to the loss of his friends and not being allowed to see, let alone, take care of you. Selene Lovegood died a couple of years ago when a new spell she was working on backfired on her! As for the others, we do not know; chances are they were either not notified about their ability to raise you, for the will had been sealed on the orders of the Chief Warlock, one Albus Dumbledore, who had signed the will as a witness."

Harry sighed at this and nodded. He knew about Sirius and the Longbottoms but he knew that he'd have to wait a bit before he started to rectify their situations. He already had a plan for Sirius and hoped that the letter he'd been given, from his parents, would be the key into freeing his Godfather. He, at the moment, didn't have a clue as to what he should do with Neville's parents.

He nodded to Griphook.

Hagrid was further stunned by the revelations that he'd just heard, especially about the Headmaster sealing the Potters' will; thus making it difficult for the other potential carers of Harry to be told of their options regarding whether or not to take on the young orphan. Hagrid's esteem of the Headmaster dropped yet another notch.

Griphook paused to allow the shock of these revelations to sink in, to the two on the other side of his desk. From the expression on his client's face, the Goblin knew that the 'esteemed' Albus Dumbledore was going to be in for an 'interesting' time, in the not too distant future!

Once sufficient time had passed, Griphook cleared his throat and asked, "what would you like for us to do to Albus Dumbledore, for he is in breach of several laws regarding last wills and testaments of Ancient and Noble families?"

Harry thought about it for a moment. "I think that it would be best to wait a while before bringing any formal charges against this Dumbledore person. Leaving it till such a time that he is at his most vulnerable!"

_A move worthy of a Goblin_, Griphook thought, especially seeing the vicious smirk on his client's face. "Very well then, we shall gather all available evidence, and await your signal to act!"

Harry nodded.

**Lordships**

Once that part of their business had been completed, at least for now, Griphook put that folder on one side of his desk before moving to pick up the next one. "Now Mister Potter, before you can claim your headship ring, and become Lord Potter, Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble house of Potter, we need to perform an inheritance test to see what other houses and families you may be heir to. To do this, we just need seven drops of your blood, added to a unique potion, mixing it together for a while before pouring it over a special piece of parchment! This parchment will then display a list of names belonging to those families that you have a connection to."

As he was explaining this to Harry, Griphook called for one of the Goblins in the Inheritance Department to bring in the necessary equipment for the ritual. It only took the efficient Goblins mere moments to have everything set up and ready to go!

"Please hold out your hand, Mister Potter, and I shall prick your finger with this ceremonial knife. Do not worry, your finger will automatically heal itself once the required number of drops have fallen into the potion." Said the, as yet unnamed, Goblin from the Inheritance Department.

Harry took a deep breath, he then held out his hand over the potion vial and waited for the Goblin to pierce his finger with the knife. After the required seven drops had been taken, Harry smiled in amazement as the cut on his finger began to heal itself within a matter of moments. _I love magic_, was his happy thought on watching this.

Harry then watched the Inheritance Department Goblin pour the potion over the parchment. All four people in the room (Harry, Hagrid and the two Goblins) paused in their motions, as they waited for the potion to take affect. They didn't have long to wait, for soon words began to appear on the parchment:-

**Name:** Harrison James Potter

**Father:** James Charlus Potter (deceased)

**Mother:** Lily Marie Potter nee Evans (deceased)

**Age:** 11

**Status:** Pure-blood

Families

Head of the Royal House of Evanstar; maternal.

Head of the Royal House of Pendragon; maternal.

Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter; paternal.

Head of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell; paternal.

Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Gryffindor; paternal.

Head of the Ancient and Noble House of Slytherin; by right of conquest.

Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black; from Godfather, paternal.

Stunned silence permeated throughout the room, as its four occupants took in the information that the page displayed.

Harry had no idea that his mother was descended from magical stock, making him a pure-blood; for everyone had assumed that she was a muggle-born. He hadn't a clue as to why he didn't know about this, last time round. _What was this 'royal House' business?_ He thought! He was confused. Was he a descendant of royalty? He'd have to ask the Goblins to find out; first though, he need his brain to reboot, which it did so by making him faint.

Hagrid was shocked by what he was reading. He'd always assumed that Lily was a muggle-born, she'd never talked about being anything other than a muggle-born. He really did not know what to think about this, and the various families that had been listed.

Once the shock had worn off, a great deal of excitement began to build within the Goblins, for they knew precisely what this would mean for both the wizarding world and magical world in general. It had been a long time since anyone from the Evanstar and Pendragon families had made themselves known. Gringotts knew that their lines still existed, for their vaults remained 'active'. The only conclusion that they could come up with, was that these families had started to produce squibs and therefore, their lines disappeared into the non-magical world. Although, he had known of several members of the Evanstar clan that had left this reality to the realm of Magix. (1) He began to wonder if his client would be the one to find a way there, to this other realm, as that knowledge had been lost to Fae kind centuries ago.

Griphook's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his client groaning as he woke up from the fainting spell. He immediately dispatched the Inheritance Department Goblin to get the appropriate files, rings and to get Mister Potter a Pepper-up potion as well.

Once the Pepper-up potion was duly administered and Harry was feeling more compos mentis again, he asked the first question that came to mind. "Royal House, what does that mean?" Harry was rather puzzled, for he was always lead to believe that his mother was a muggle-born.

Griphook regarded the two opposite for a moment, especially his client. He knew full well what this revelation would mean for the status of his mother, Lily Potter. Not only would it call into question the so called disparity between the academic achievement of the pure-bloods v muggle-born, but it would also sow some doubt on the theory that muggle-borns spontaneously appeared, as most common Wizards and Witches believed. Although, Goblin kind had always known that these so called muggle-born were, in reality, descendants of pure-blood lines that had become squibed. It took two of these lines, to reawaken the magic in their child; though not always, as proved by the boy's aunt.

"Well Mister Potter," Griphook said a few moments later, once he'd finished looking into the relevant files. "It appears that your mother was, in fact, a descendant of pure-blood lines that disappeared into the Muggle world when they became Squibs." Upon seeing the 'confused' look on Harry's face (who wasn't actually confused about what a Squib was) he said; "Squibs are those who are born to a Witch and Wizard but have no, or very little, magic in them. They are often disowned by the fanatical families, those that believed in 'blood purity'."

Harry was a little surprised at that, well that's what the others in the room saw. Although, he did not need to act sad at this piece of news, for it always disheartened him to hear of how families treated children that were perceived as 'different' from the ideal, he was a prime example of that! It was one of the things that he wanted to change, this time round, to make 'differently perceived' children accepted by their families and wizarding society in general. That said, he knew that it might take at least a couple of generations, before things began to change!

After the momentary pause, Griphook continued. "As for the two royal houses in question… The Evanstar family is the ruling clan of the Fae world. The Fae world includes species like Goblins, Veela, Fairies, Centaurs, Unicorns and most sentient magical creatures. Fae is considered an umbrella term, to describe most of the non-Human magical, and sentient, species that reside in this world. That said, the Fae world is split between light and dark. These two factions had always co-existed, under the leadership of the Evanstar clan; but tensions have strained between them, since the last member of the ruling clan 'disappeared', presumably into the muggle world. While many would class us Goblins as dark Fae, we prefer to consider ourselves grey or neutral, as we provide banking services to both sides. As to why the Evanstar family decided to either leave this dimension or disappear into the muggle world, we do not know; although we do believe that there are a few books on the subject, which were written centuries ago, locked away in the Evans family vault. If only your mother had decided to do an inheritance test, then we would have known about this ages ago!"

Harry perked up at that, at the chance to read something that could be as ancient as he was lead to believe, and still survive in a legible state. As he was a tad focused on the idea of learning something so ancient, he failed to hear what the Goblin said last. Although, that could be because Griphook had said it somewhat quieter.

The Goblin continued. "As for the Pendragon line, one of the granddaughters of King Arthur and his queen, Guinevere, married a Harold Evans who was heir to the Evans clan. At that time the clan had large tracts of land around what is now Swansea." (2)

Harry's eyebrows rose into his hairline, upon hearing this, for it was something that he'd not heard of before now. "Did my mother know about all this?" He asked after letting that bit of information sink in.

"No Mister Potter, I'm afraid to say that she did not, for she had not done an inheritance test, believing herself to be a muggle-born." Harry sighed and simply nodded his head.

"What does this mean for me?" He asked, not actually too sure how he felt about the situation.

"Well Mister Potter," Griphook said a moment later. "The first thing of note is that you're a pure-blood and not a half-blood, as most people believed; thanks to your mother's hidden status!

"You are now one of our more wealthy clients, if not the richest; we still need to do a full auditing of the vaults that you are now entitled to. We do know that both the Evanstar and Pendragon vaults have not been touched in many generations, meaning that, just with the interest alone, the amounts inside are rather substantial. As well as these aforementioned vaults, you will be able to gain full access to the Gryffindor, Peverell, Potter and Slytherin vaults; this includes all their monetary, heirloom and literal assets, as well as their respective properties. You won't be able to gain full access to the Black family vaults until you are made the family's Lord by the current Lord Black, one Sirius Orion Black; though you will be able to become the acting head of the family, as the present Lord is currently being held, illegally, in Azkaban!"

Harry raised his eyebrows at this news, for it meant that he could do what he needed to do and not worry about finding the funds to do it. He smiled at the thought of Hermione's reaction to the news that he had many libraries of potentially unknown numbers of books; he probably wouldn't be able to get her out of those vaults for days. He also sighed at the thought of his Godfather in the infamous prison, although he did perk up a bit on hearing that the Goblins believed that he was innocent of the crimes he was accused of. The biggest thing that made him most excited was the thought of those properties that would be available to him. _No more Dursleys_, he thought with a grin!

"You have several seats on the Wizengamot, namely the houses of Evanstar, Gryffindor, Pendragon, Peverell, Potter and Slytherin. This means that you'll have a substantial block, in the governing body of the wizarding world. That said, because of your age and inexperience, in magical affairs, it would be advisable for you to find a proxy for each of your seats. As I understand that you will not know many in the magical world, we can draw up a list of perspective candidates for you."

Harry couldn't help but nod at that advice. He had a few ideas already, of people he'd like to make his proxies, but decided to 'get to know them' again first. He also started to ponder on all the harmful laws that he could get rid of, what with the power block he now had under his control. Although, he knew that it would take him a while before he could work out which laws he wanted to begin with, though he knew that the Werewolf laws would be a good place to start. He wanted to give his Uncle Mooney, and the other Werewolves, a much better chance at a prosperous life.

Seeing his client's head nod, Griphook made a note to look into perspective proxies. After finishing this task, the Goblin looked up again and carried on. "Now, because of your inheriting the title of Lord Gryffindor, and the fact that you can claim the title of Lord Slytherin, through the right of conquest, this means that you control half of Hogwarts. Although, if you can find the heirs to the other founders, and become friends with them, then the Headmaster would become no more than a figure head!"

Harry liked the sound of that, taking power away from Dumbledore, especially after all the crap he had heaped on his shoulders, in the last time-line. He nodded at the Goblin and made a mental note to seek out the other heirs; whoever they may be!

"Now, on to the matter of the Evanstar and Pendragon families. These are considered royalty, in the magical world; although, of these only the Pendragon line is recognised by the Wizards. As most of the wizarding population has, conveniently, completely forgotten about the fact that there's a magical family that's above them all, we can use this as a trump card. What I mean by this, is that it is my advice that we keep this secret from everyone and only use this when things are starting to get out of control. This is due to the fact that once you publicly acknowledge your headship of the Pendragon line you will become the next ruler of magical Britain, effectively; second only to the Queen Elizabeth II."

Harry wasn't really too sure what to make of that. The fact that he was effectively royalty, at least in the magical world. Although, he did think that it was a good idea, to keep this title secret, and that of his other non-Potter Houses, from all those who would seek to use him.

"As for the Evanstar line, this name is respected by most of the non-Human, sentient, magical species in the world. Just show them the Evanstar house ring and they'll become more amenable to you. This is actually good news, for you can help unite all the differing magical species, thus helping them to gain more rights and to bring in a new world of co-operation between non-magical Humans, Wizards and sentient magical non-Humans. You already have the Goblin Nation's full support, not only because you are our wealthiest client, but because of your future role in truly unifying the magical world."

This was something that Harry had a little trouble comprehending, though he did accept that being head of this line would be most useful to him, when it came to bringing the magical world into the 20th century. He just nodded his head, not really trusting himself to speak.

Hagrid didn't really know what to think, about what he was witnessing just now. To know that Harry was in partial control of the castle was one thing, to know that he was royalty was something totally different. The half-Giant knew that his future, and that of the other sentient magical creatures (he had no illusion as to his origins), lied in the hands of this scruffy eleven year old. He did not know much but what he did know was that he would help Harry in any way that he could.

Knowing how much of a big deal this was, to his client, Griphook waited a few moments, to allow the information to sink in. He knew that the young Wizard in front of him was the keystone to a brighter future, for the magical world as a whole. The young Lord had more power in his hands than anyone else has had, in centuries. The Goblin knew that with the right guidance, Harry Potter would herald the dawn of a new age. A glorious age, one that would rival any which had gone before.

Now was the small matter of getting the young Lord to put on his rings. With this in mind, he said the relevant phrase (in the Goblin tongue), to make all of the said rings appear on his desk … the Evanstar, Pendragon, Peverell, Potter, Gryffindor, Slytherin and the Black family heir ring; seven rings in total!

"Now Harry," Griphook said a moment later, once he had the young Lord's attention, he continued. "Here we have the seven family rings that you are entitled to. When you put on each ring it will automatically mere with the ones you've put on before, to create one ring. As you place each ring on your finger, the House's magic will evaluate you, to see if you are worthy of becoming its wearer. If the House magic does accept you it will then imbue you with its power, installing within you the relevant family magics, giving you certain abilities and protections in the process. Once this next step is finished we will then perform an abilities test, this will determine what magical skills you possess and should focus on learning more about! Do you have any questions?" The Goblin knew that most people had at least one or two questions at this point, he wasn't disappointed.

After a moment's thought, Harry only really had a couple of questions. "What happens if the ring doesn't accept me? Also, is it possible for me to hide other Lordships, apart from that of House Potter, from everyone else; until I am ready deal with all they involve?"

Griphook nodded as he expected this question. "Well Harry, if the ring doesn't accept you as being ready, nothing happens. It would simply refuse to merge with the other House rings. Nothing bad will happen. This just means that you will have to wait until you're older, before trying again.

"As for your second question; yes, you we can stop the Ministry and others from learning of your becoming a Lord of these Houses, until such time as you're ready to reveal them. I suggest waiting till your fellow Wizards least expect it, before you make who you truly are known!"

Harry nodded at those answers.

Taking several deep breaths, to prepare himself, Harry began the process of seeing whether or not he is ready to become head of the respective Houses. It was suggested, by Griphook, that he begin with the Potter family ring first, which Harry did so. After a moment's hesitation, Harry put the ring on. Fortunately, for Harry, the Potter family magic accepted him as its new Lord; the ring then magically resized itself to fit on Harry's finger, before filling Harry's head with all the relevant information that he needed to know.

Once the first ring accepted him, Harry paused for a moment before he began to put the others on. One by one, pausing between each ring, they all seemed to accept him, before merging into the Potter family ring.

When he put the final, Evanstar, ring on, all hell broke loose. Power flooded through the entirety of Harry's body, from head to toe. He was lifted up from his seat, and he begun floating in the air. His magical core expanded to an unprecedented size, which caused Harry to let out an Earth shattering scream, as this was a painful process. The bank shook to its very foundation, with how much power Harry was emitting.

It takes a lot to frighten a Goblin, and Griphook was experiencing that particular emotion, though it battled with excitement for dominance within him. What he saw was his client lifted up in the air, the power rolling off him was immense, the light emanating from the young Potter was so bright that it forced both him and the half-Giant to cover their eyes. When the bank started to shake, Griphook had to hold onto his desk or risk being thrown violently to the floor. Hagrid followed suit.

The door to Griphook's office burst open, a moment later, and a squad of security Goblins tried their best to rush into the room. Even though their weapons were drawn, they found it difficult to keep to their feet. When they were able to see what was going on, they too were shocked at what they were seeing. No Goblin alive today, had experienced such a force being unleashed from one individual Human.

A few moments later the bank stopped shaking, much to the relief of all those in the room. Harry then found himself back in his chair, once again unconscious. When everyone else realised that the crisis was over, they all began to get back on their feet. The security Goblins were on theirs, with weapons still drawn, and were making their way towards Harry.

"Stop", said Griphook when he realised that the other Goblins were about to arrest his client. "Lord Evanstar had just put on seven House rings, several blocks had been removed from the young Wizard as a result, although I did not expect such power to be released from his Lordship!" Griphook used the Evanstar name in order to make the other Goblins aware as to whom it was they were about to arrest. The use of this name had the desired effect, for the Goblins knew of the Evanstar line and what it would mean for them to have the name active once more. They immediately put their weapons away and one of them was dispatched to go get their King. (3)

This caused Griphook to smile, knowing what the likely reaction of King Ragnok would be. He wouldn't be disappointed. Now all he had to do was wait for his King to arrive!

Hagrid, on the other hand, was stunned. He never expected for so much power to be displayed by his new Lord; even though Harry didn't know about that yet. He was under no illusion. Young Harry was going to be the most powerful magical-being there has ever been. He knew that, when the young Lord woke up, he would be pledging his allegiance to him. He had a strong feeling that the young Potter would treat him a lot better than the Headmaster ever did!

**Abilities**

It wasn't until a few moments later that Harry woke up. He wasn't really too sure how he was feeling. On one hand, his body was feeling extremely heavy and lethargic; yet, at the same time, he could feel more energy flowing through it than he'd ever felt before. This is what confused the young Potter Lord. "Erk, what hit me?" Harry groaned as he began to wake up.

"Well my Lord Evanstar, you certainly did cause quite a lot of havoc there." Said a voice that Harry didn't recognise. Upon seeing the confused look on the young Lord's face, he continued. "When you placed the rings on your finger, their combined magical power overcame several blocks placed on your magical core and abilities. These blocks usually would be released over a period of a few hours, although most wouldn't have them on in the first place. With you, however, the process was a lot more extreme than that. With the amount of energy you put out, during the binding release process, you literally shook the entirety of the bank to its very foundations, something that has never happened before."

Harry looked rather shocked at this, for he could not remember a single thing between putting the last ring on and waking up. He tried to express his apologies but the unnamed Goblin (to him at least) forestalled his attempt.

Once the Goblin had finished this explanation, a plate of food and goblet of Pumpkin juice appeared on the table before him. It took the encouragement of others to persuade him to partake of the meal.

During the meal, Harry learnt that the new Goblin was not only the Director of Gringotts bank but the Goblins' King as well. He was someone that no Human had seen in a number of years. In fact, not even members of the British Ministry of Magic had been allowed to see him, despite all their petitioning. On hearing this, not only Harry's but Hagrid's eyes rose into their respective hairlines.

When Hagrid learnt of this, he felt extremely honoured to be before someone that not even Dumbledore had seen, despite the Headmaster's many attempts. Although, he did feel somewhat unworthy to be in the presence of such company; he was so far down the pecking order, at least in his opinion (this was his thoughts thanks to all the years of bullying by the various so called 'pure-bloods' that had gone through Hogwarts, over the years since he'd been there).

Harry also learnt that they preferred to refer to him by his Evanstar name, due to the fact that it was far more worthy of respect than any of his Human titles; not that they didn't respect any of the others, just that they respected that particular title a whole lot more. To them, and any other non-Human sentient magical races, it was the far more important one, of all the names Harry now carried!

Once Harry had eaten his fill, he began to feel a whole lot better. His body didn't feel so weak and he could feel his strength returning; so much so, that he couldn't resist the urge to stretch and pop his shoulders!

"Well Harry", said Ragnok. When they had been introduced to each other, Harry had asked to be referred to by his first name. The Goblin King reciprocated in kind. "Now that you have rested and recharged some of your magic, it is now time to test your abilities, to see what skills you have and what you need to work on."

Harry nodded at that. Although, he wasn't really too sure of what to expect, results wise. He didn't think that he had any special abilities, but then again…

During his musing the Goblins had brought out all the equipment needed for him to complete the abilities test. All it took was a few more drops of blood, which he happily gave, placed in a special bowl that was mixed with another potion. After waiting for a few minutes, to allow the blood and potion to mix, the potion was carefully poured over a special parchment, one enchanted especially for this procedure. After a few moments words began to appear:-

**Name:** Harrison James Potter

**Abilities:** Natural Occlumens. Dolittlean. (4) Linguafrancan. Eidetic memory. Wand-less magic. Enhanced senses. Magical Animagi. Metamorphmagi.

As he looked at this list, Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. There were several abilities listed there that he couldn't comprehend him having; like being a Metamorphmagi or having an eidetic memory, especially as he had a lot of trouble remembering some things and focusing on others. Though it only took him a moment before he realised that some of those abilities had been blocked, while others could very well have been some of those 'upgrades' that Mort talked about. "Can you please explain to me what some of these mean?" Asked a puzzled Harry, for there were a couple of things that he'd never heard of before.

"Of course Harry," replied Ragnok, who'd taken over the meeting. "I shall go through the list in order, as they appear on the sheet. Natural Occlumens; this means that you have natural Occlumancy shields, that very few (if any) people could get through, using Legilimency, which is the method several Wizards use to read people's minds. If you'd like, Harry, I could test your shields to see if they can be broken through?!"

Harry thought about this for a moment, he concluded that it was probably a good idea for his shields to be tested, so he nodded his consent. After being instructed to look into the Goblin leader's eyes, Harry felt a momentary sensation of another presence in his mind. That momentary pressure didn't last long though for Ragnok was forcefully rejected and then called for a headache potion.

Once the potion had been drunk and made its way through the Goblin's system, Ragnok smiled. "Well Harry, I can safely say that not even Dumbledore will be able to break through those shields. I've never come across any that were so strong."

Harry grinned at that, knowing that neither Dumbledore nor Snape would be reading his mind, any time soon.

Seeing the grin on the young Lord's face, Ragnok couldn't help but give a smile of his own, knowing that Dumbledore wasn't going to like the fact that he wouldn't be able to read the mind of the young Human in front of him. Once that thought had peculated through his mind, the Goblin leader continued.

"Next on the list we have Dolittlean. With this ability you'll be able to communicate with any non-sentient animal. In fact, the only known person to have this ability was the apprentice of one of Merlin's apprentices, a John Dolittle, hence where the name of this ability came from."

Harry knew how useful this ability would be to have for him, for animals saw things that many Humans would not have considered. After all, how many guard their conversations against animal listeners? Yes, this ability would be very useful indeed.

"Now we have Linguafrancan. This word is derived from the term Lingua franca. In the original meaning of the tern, it referred to a language that everyone could communicate in, even if they came from vastly different communities; the English language is an example of this. However, in a magical context, a Linguafrancan is someone who can read, write and understand any Human language that exists or previously had existed; be they be non-magical or magical in origin. So basically, this ability, along with your Dolittlean ability means that you can communicate to anyone in the world, be they Human, non-Human or animal."

To say that Harry was surprised at this, would have been an understatement. This ability alone would open up many more doors for him; not only in terms of communicating with non-English speaking peoples, in their own language, but reading books and other resources in said languages. The knowledge he could acquire, that's unknown to the English speaking world, would be immense. He couldn't help but grin broadly at this.

Ragnok could tell, by the expression on his face, that the young Lord had grasped the full implications of these two abilities. Although, what made the Goblin smile even more was the fact that he had switched over to the Goblin tongue, and Harry could understand every single word that was said. Ragnok had no doubt that the young man in front of him would respond in kind, when he next needed to speak, in the Goblin tongue.

"Eidetic memory. This ability means that you'll be able to recall everything that you've read, seen, heard, smelt and touched; at an instant. Nothing you've ever known or experienced, will be forgotten. You can read a complete book within minutes and recall precisely what's written and what page it's on. Not only that, but you'll be able to think quicker and clearer as well.

"Wand-less magic. This ability means that you'll be able to cast any spell without a wand. Not only that but you only have to think of something and your magic makes it happen.

"Enhanced senses. With this ability you'll be able to hear, see, smell and touch far better than your average Human. Also, your awareness, of what's going on around you, seen or unseen, will be greatly enhanced as well; so you'll be able to see people who are invisible or if there's anything in your food and drink, for example!"

As each of his new abilities were explained to him, Harry was getting more excited. He could tell that each and every one of them would be extremely useful. Not only in combating the forces of darkness, i.e. Voldemort and Dumbledore, but in his day to day situations as well. The ability to detect love potions in his food or drink would be very useful, especially with potion Molly around.

"Magical Animagi," Ragnok continued. "This basically means that when you discover your Animagi forms, they'll be that of magical animals. How many forms you'll have or what they are, we cannot tell you.

"Lastly, we have Metamorphmagi. This means that you'll be able to change your physical appearance at will, to any form that you desire, as long as it's Humanoid in shape. The only current known Metamorphmagi is a Nymphadora Tonks. It would be good if you could find her, for then you'll have someone there to help you learn how to morph your body."

Harry could only nod at that! Making a mental note to find Tonks, and to see if she'd be prepared to train him.

Once the explanation of Harry's new abilities had finished, they went on to talk about how the Goblin nation could help him with his situation concerning Voldemort and his supporters. He also offered him their help in putting him in contact with the relevant leadership of the various different magical species that there were around the world. They would also provide him with relevant knowledge, that he needed to know, in order to complete his tasks.

Towards the end of the meeting, Harry enquired if there was any method that he'd be able to use, to retrieve his money, without having to visit the bank each time. He was given a bag that was connected to his petty cash vault (this used to be his trust fund vault, but its status changed once Harry was declared a Lord). With this bag, he could draw out Galleons, Pounds or any other type of currency directly from said vault; all he had to do was think the amount and denomination, put is hand in and it would appear. If he dropped his receipts into the bag they would appear in a special box, this would be located in the office that he was currently in; this was for auditing and tax purposes. No one could use the bag but Harry, especially after he bound the bag to him, via a few drops of his blood.

Soon after that, the meeting began to wind down. Harry was then given a thick book which contained the details of all his accounts and various assets. This book was self updating, so he could see what he was worth, in real time. The book also contained notarised copies of all relevant documents, including the wills of his parents, letters and deeds to the various properties that he owned.

Once that was done, Harry thanked Ragnok and his account manager for seeing him this day. "Well Mister Evanstar, it really was a surprising and interesting day. I take it that you did not notice that, for the last part of this meeting, we were conversing in the Goblin tongue?" Harry shook his head, not realising that this was so. "Fear not, My Lord, for it just proves that your ability works in a most natural and automatic way."

Once that was said, all parties said their final goodbyes, for now! Harry and Hagrid were then lead, by one of the security Goblins, to the bank's lobby. Harry decided to come back another day, to check what was in his vaults!

**Footnotes:**

1 = This is the world within which _Winx Club_ is set. Harry, and or his girls, will go there before their second or third year. I haven't decided yet!

2 = While checking any other fictional characters, who were also named Evans (to possibly link Harry to, in future stories), I discovered that the clan was based in the south Wales area!

3 = I didn't plan on having Ragnok appear in this story for a while yet, he just decided to make an appearance. Like characters often do, while you're writing.

4 = Couldn't find a good enough already existing name for this ability, so I made one up, based on a certain children's character!


End file.
